This week, we are highlighting five impactful photo compositions that make us stop and stare! Kudos to each photographer for a job well done—Tiree Dawson, Bart Gorin, Nick Bailey and Samantha Everly.

Talk about a gut punch! This stunning and impactful photo composition by Tiree Dawson is of couple Alissa and Sam. Dawson says they had an amazingly fun packed wedding day with the busiest timeline she has ever encountered. “In the midst of all of the chaotic fun of the day, we grabbed a few minutes by the lake for portraits. Timings had slipped and night was drawing in, so I decided to embrace this by making the most of the dark colored trees, which made Alissa’s stunning dress really pop.”

This next photo composition, also by Tiree Dawson, is of couple Hannah and Phil. “They were such a fun couple to photograph,” she says. “I’m used to working with elopement couples who are very shy and introverted, but these two both had a background in theatre and were naturals in front of the camera. We hiked up to the top of Hallin Fell after their ceremony and I love how this image captures that top-of-the-world feeling without too much distraction from the beautiful scenery!”

Bart Gorin says he’s photographed many Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and the DJs always have fun giveaways for the kids, like the LED glasses in this photo.

“A flash with a slow shutter speed can catch a sharp photo with a blur of lights,” says Gorin. “This is a setting that most event photographers know already. This photo grabbed my attention because most kids were dancing uninhibitedly by the time the glasses were given out (there is also a pair on top of her head). This teen broke away from the fun to give me a serious pose. The contrast, for me, is thought provoking.”

[Read: Using A Slow Shutter Speed for Fun Drag and Blur Effect]

This image was taken by photographer Nick Bailey, about an hour after sunset at couple Anna and Matt’s wedding in Cornwall, England. “Shooting this time of the year can be stunning as you get beautiful crisp conditions with crystal clear skies,” says Baiely. “When I arrived at the venue I knew straight away I would love to do a night shot of the couple stood in between the barn doors, it wasn’t until that evening when I was setting up for the shot that I realized there was hardly a breath of wind. It got me thinking if I used a vaporiser to create a fog like atmosphere and combining it with some simple back lighting could look pretty cool.”

[Read: A Magical Photo Shoot Two Years in the Making]

Bailey says that for his idea to actually work, he knew he would have to create a digital composite of at least two images: the first image would capture the detail of the barn and night sky, and the second would be the couple backlit with Bailey being “a human smoke machine. I set up my tripod and nailed what I thought was a pretty decent shot of the barn over a 15-second exposure with a single speed light positioned in the centre of the barn. My first thoughts were that it would be a color image but I think I actually prefer the black-and-white version as it has more of a cinematic feel to it.” [Which do you prefer? See both versions below.]

Samantha Everly of Everly Collective says that this is one of her absolute favorite photos that she’s taken so far.

“It’s eerie but peaceful,” she explains. “Their bodies edging into each other reflecting how the hills behind them blend/cross into one another. You can feel their weightlessness as they float among the fog rolling off the water.”

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more eye-catching portraits and impactful photo compositions. Submit your wedding, editorial, documentary and other interesting photo genre images to: [email protected].